Leslie’s Story

I went in for a routine mammogram at the beginning of January. I happened to know the tech doing it, so at the end I asked her, “OK, so tell me.” Of course, she said she couldn’t, but I could see it on her face.

I left without thinking too much about it, but just four days later, she reached out to tell me they needed more images and an ultrasound. I knew right then. On Jan. 14, I found out I had breast cancer.

Never in a million years do you think you’ll be that one in eight women to get it, right?

Everything happened so fast. On Feb. 21, I had surgery for a double mastectomy. I still hadn’t even wrapped my head around it by the time I was going in. When I came home the next day, the first three weeks were the hardest. The emotional pain was worse than the physical, and no one really explains what to expect.

I’m so thankful for the amazing support system I have—not only my family but my church family, too. We were so blessed. People from church signed up to bring us meals, and we were fed every single night for nearly two weeks, even on weekends. It was just incredible.

I’m also very blessed that I didn’t need chemo or radiation. The cancer was aggressive, but it was contained in my breast, and my surgeon got it all. Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if I’d waited or put it off—but I remind myself that God was in control the entire time.

Now, I’m on the journey of reconstruction, and to be honest, I’m dreading it. I don’t feel good about what I see in the mirror, and I don’t want to live the rest of my life feeling that way. So I’ve chosen reconstructive surgery. I’m especially nervous about the tissue expanders—I know they can be painful and uncomfortable—but I keep telling myself, if I made it through a mastectomy, I can make it through this too. God is in control, and He’s walking with me through this journey.

Thank you again. I wasn’t sure how much of my story you wanted, so please feel free to use whatever parts you need—and you’re welcome to use my name. I wasn’t sure what you meant by “picture”—if you’d like a photo of me or of my post-mastectomy progress, I’m happy to share if it helps someone else. I know families step up and support, but this is hard on caregivers too. Still, it’s incredibly hard on the woman going through it.